Stuart McCall will have the final say on Bradford City's next youth-team manager.

McCall will sit down with joint-chairmen Julian Rhodes and Mark Lawn on Friday to discuss potential names to take over from Jon Pepper, who left Valley Parade on Monday.

But Julian Rhodes insists it will be McCall's shout on who they plump for.

He believes the new youth chief will have to work closely with the senior coaching team - and therefore should be appointed by them.

Talking to the Telegraph & Argus Rhodes said: "There has always been an argument that youth development shouldn't have anything to do with the first team. Managers come and go at clubs but the youth programme remains.

"That may be all right up to the age of 16 when you are talking about developing lads through the centre of excellence but you are hoping that players in the youth team will go on to appear for the first team.

"So whoever is in charge of the youth side surely has to be appointed by the first-team manager. It's a very important position from that point.

"The ball is in Stuart's court who he wants. He has suggested a few names and we've had some inquiries.

"He's got ideas and Mark's got ideas but ultimately it will be down to Stuart to make his own appointment."

Pepper was brought in by Nicky Law in 2002, initially as youth-development officer, and has worked closely with Peter Horne in improving a department that had been neglected. City have been criticised for not producing enough of their own players - a brief that will be high on the agenda for whoever takes up the post.

Rhodes added: "We've tried to get the younger players in the reserves early in recent years and hopefully on to the first team, so there is going to be a big cross-over between the youth-team manager and Wayne (Jacobs) and Wethers (David Wetherall).

"There's a few interested names being thrown about, although there is no immediate call to make a decision. As long as we have the new man in place for the start of pre-season on July 1.

"We want to make sure we get the right appointment."